Table for supplying an ink film for making finger-prints.



P. RYAN TABLE FOR SUPPLYING AN INK FILM FOR MAKING FINGER PRINTS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 8. 1915.

1,192,796; Patented July 25,191

' -IEATRICK RYAN, or ivn'w YOItK, N. Y.

TABLE FOR SUPPLYING AN INK FILM FOR MAKING FINGER-PRINTS.

Application filed September 8, 1915. Serial No. 49,521.

To all whom it may concern:

,Be it known that I, PATRICK RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tables for Supplying an Ink Film for Making Finger-Prints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention refers to an inking and printing device for preparing and applying the ink to the thumb and fingers for registering impressions, and it relates more particularly and fingers to be properly supplied with a suitable ink preparatory to the transfer of the ink by the finger to a card, paper sheet, or other receiving surface on which the record is to be made.

The object of the invention is to facilitate the proper and speedy application of the ink or other substance to the thumb and fingers of the hand by the provision of a device or apparatus whereby the ink can be readily and uniformly distributed and whereby also the fingers may be properly provided with a film of the ink material; and more especially the invention relates to means for enabling. the fingers of the hand to be inked in cases where one or more of the fingers may be stiff and unyielding and not possessed of their normal flexibility.

The invention also embraces various details and peculiarities in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and then more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention: Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved printing device on the line 1, 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the ink-applying table formed with a plurality of notches to facilitate the transfer of the ink to stiff and crooked fingers; Fig. 4 is a similar plan view of the ink-applying table with its entire periphery notched for use with these abnormal fingers.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

2 designates the main standard of the table, the same being supported by a base or foot 1, into the central boss 3 of which to the means for enabling the thumbthe standard 2 is'screwed. The standard s a hollow piece ofpipe and receives therem a vertical rod 5 which is held in the standard 2 in a stationary position by means of a transverse pin '16, it being obvious that the rod 5 can readily be removed from the tubular standard 2 by removing the pin 16. The upper end of the rod 5 has a portion 0 of smaller diameter rising from a shoulder l7.

8 denotes an ink platen or table, having a central tubular socket 7 on the underside thereof, which receives the upper part 6 of the rod 5, said socket 7 resting on the shoulder 17 so that the table 8 can be manually rotated as may be desired. This table receives the ink in the first instance and per mits the same to be evenly distributed over the surface thereof by the use of an ordinary ink roller such as is commonly used with printing presses.

4L denotes another horizontal table parallel to the ink table 8 and situated below the same, it having on its underside a central sleeve-likesocket 9 through which the rod 5 passes, said sleeve resting on the upper end of the standard 2 so that the table 4 may easily be rotated on the rod 5 as may be desired, the rotation taking place manually 1n order to bring all the parts of the entire table surface successively close to the person who is operating the device. The ink which is distributed over the surface of the ink table 8 and thereby reduced to a uniform and even. consistency is transferred by the inking roller to the table 4t, over which the roller spreads it in the form of a light, thin film in the same manner that the roller would ordinarily spread a surface of ink over the types used with a printing press, the function of the table 4 being to enable the ink to be applied to the fingers or other objects which may be pressed against the surface of the same to take the film of ink and then transferred to another surface on which the impression of the finger is to be made for the purpose of securing a record of the lines of the finger in accordance with the well known system of identification by means of finger prints.

It often happens that the subject which is being examined by the taking or finger prints has one or more fingers of his hand that are devoid of their normal use and flexibility by reason of being broken,crooked or stiff, so that it is not easy to take a print Patented July 25, 1916.

of the entire line surface of the adjacent fingers. Usually when the print of a finger is to be taken, it is customary to press the inside of the end of the finger, on which is the group of parallel curved lines, closely against the inked surface of the impression table 4;, and to cause the finger to be ro tated from edge to edge in order that the whole of the system of lines may be provided with ink. It is easy to thus sufiiciently rotate each finger, provided the adjacent fingers are normally in good condition and of the usual flexibility and movability, but when one is stiff or is otherwise crippled so that it is not flexible, it will afford an obstruction to the movement of the other finger and will prevent the obtaining of a proper print of the lines of such finger. In order to provide for this I employ at times in lieu of the table 4 a similar table 13 whose periphery is formed with notches l4: alternating with projections 15. These projections are of suflicient width to allow a finger to be moved therefrom from one edge to the other with a rolling contact suificient to ink all the lines of the inner surface of the end of the finger, and in the case where an adj acent finger or fingers is unyielding by reason of the crippled condition hereinabove referred to, the stiff finger or fingers will be accommodated in the notches 14L and will not obstruct the complete movement of the other finger in securing the proper print. Sometimes only a part of the periphery of the plate 13 is provided with notches 14:, while in another instance I utilize a similar plate 10 having its periphery entirely furnished with a series of notches l2 alternating with projections 11 by means of which the fingers may be provided if necessary with ink or other material for the making of proper impressions.

The table 4, as also the tables 10 and 13, may be provided with a number of feet 18 by means of which the table can be made to rest on any desired surface when it is not in use. When the ink has been transferred from the surface of the ink table 8 to the and a badly formed hand with distorted and crooked fingers will not prevent the securing of proper and complete impressions from the lines of those fingers which are in perfect condition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a standard, of an ink-distributing table supported loosely on the upper end of the standard, and an ink-applying table supported revolubly on said standard parallel to the first table.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a standard, a rod supported therein and having a shoulder, an inkdistributing table having a socket engaging said rod and resting on the shoulder, and an ink-applying table having a sleeve-like central socket revolubly carried by said rod and resting on the upper end of the standard, the latter table being parallel to the first and being arranged so that a film of ink may be spread thereon by means taking the ink from the top table.

8. I11 a device of the class described, the combination with a standard, of a table mounted thereon for permitting the ink to be applied thereto for transference to the fingers, said table having peripheral notches and alternate projections.

a. The combination with supporting means, of a revoluble table for applying ink to the fingers of the hand in the making of finger prints, said table having peripheral. notches and alternate projections to permit the inking fingers of a hand having one or more stifi or crippled fingers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

I PATRICK Brim.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

